Knight and Pawn vs Bishop: When the King Holds the Draw
White to play and draw
PlayA pawn on the seventh rank, with knight and king behind it, and the bishop on c7 holding d8. It looks winning, but it is not. The black king is just close enough to save it.
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The Defending King Arrives in Time
White to play and draw · Hold the draw against perfect play
Waking the engine…
The theory
Knight and pawn against a bishop is often winning, but only when the bishop can be evicted from the queening square. That is a question of tempi, not of material.
The blockading bishop. With the pawn on d7 and the bishop on c7, d8 is covered. Promoting is pointless: d8=Q Bxd8 Nxd8 leaves king and knight against king, a dead draw.
The plan that wins elsewhere. March the king Kd5-c4-b5-a6-b7 to attack the bishop while the knight covers a5 and d8. With the defending king on a1 or b1 it wins outright.
Why it fails here. From b2 the black king reaches the queenside in time to guard the squares the bishop needs. Move it one square further away and White wins, which is the whole point of the sister position.
In this drill the target is the draw. Recognize the fortress, keep the pieces together, and do not throw away the half point.
Keep going
One Tempo Turns the Draw into a Win
White to play and win
Pawn on the Seventh: Zugzwang, Not a Chase
White to play and win
Good Bishop vs Bad Knight
White to play and win
All 15 bishop vs knight positionsFollow the full curriculum (free)